


Truth or dare?

by raging_fire



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: ACOTAR - Freeform, Cocky Cassian, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff and Smut, Love Confessions, Mates, Sexual Tension, Truth or Dare, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, flustered Nesta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-09-01 17:54:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16770031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raging_fire/pseuds/raging_fire
Summary: Stuck in a cabin during a snowstorm, Cassian grows bored and decides to play truth or dare with Nesta.Little did he know what the game would turn into.





	Truth or dare?

**Author's Note:**

> I tried (and failed) to make this a smutty one-shot, but I couldn't help myself and included some fluff.
> 
> Enjoy!

"Truth, or dare?"

"Neither."

"Come on, don't be such a mood killer."

"If you don't stop pestering me with your nonsense games, your mood won't be the only dead thing in this cabin."

Cassian pouted, and despite the situation they were in, despite the blizzard outside that made them fly back to this gods-forsaken ramshackle cabin, Nesta felt truly, completely murderous. Using Cassian's blood to point out her location didn't seem like such a horrid idea, after all these endless hours spent in his company.

Not that she despised his presence, but when Cassian got bored, he resorted to talking, which eventually lead him to stupid ideas. Like this game.

"It's going to take a while for them to find us," he said, as if reading her thoughts. "Why not play a game to make the time go by faster? I'm sure you can't wait to get back home and curl up with a book next to your window, maybe throw a glare at the passers here and there?"

"Can you at least try to pretend that you're not stalking me? Because it feel like you know too many details about my daily routine."

"Of course I am," he snorted, "since many of those passers complain that they were threatened by a she-devil. It takes a serious amount of convincing to stop them from throwing you in a well, you know."

Nesta rolled her eyes and turned toward the brash Illyrian. Logs were being thrown in the too-small fireplace, heating the cabin slowly; too slowly. Night was gathering and she was pretty sure that they were going to freeze to death.

Well, perhaps not him, since he had suffered things much worse than frostbite, but her? Nesta didn't have his resilience or training. These mountains were a death-trap during the cold season. The fact that they managed to locate this old cabin was a feat in itself, but things were still looking pretty grim.

And she seemed to be the only one aware of that little fact.

Nesta spread her legs on the couch like a cat, managing to remain under the covers. At least they found wool blankets in the cramped bedroom and some clean clothes. Her old ones were soaked from the snow and her hair was still wet, even with the fire burning so close to her.

"I'm surprised you didn't offer them a hand yourself."

"And where would the fun be in that?" he grinned, facing her. "Truth, or dare?"

Nesta gritted her teeth so hard that she thought they'd crack under the pressure.

"What are you, five? Do you do this with all your soldiers?"

"Gods, no. Wouldn't want them to think that I actually have a sense of humour and that I'm not some war machine."

"You don't, and you aren't," she smiled bitterly at him.

A muscle in his face twitched. Good.

"Too scared to play?"

"I'm not that bored, I'm afraid."

"Well, I am, so let's play."

The wooden floor groaned as Cassian circled the shabby couch and sat in one of the armchairs, wings tucked in and hair a complete mess. His flying leathers were off drying in the bathroom, replaced by a terrible knitted green sweater and black pants. At least those made a good job of pointing out his ass, which Nesta tried not to look at as he walked around the cabin, shutting tight every door or window.

He raised an eyebrow and smirked a bit at her attention.

"That sweater is really ugly," she pointed out, curling her legs under her again.

"Oh, I'm so sorry for the inconvenience, would you rather have me shirtless?" Cassian said in a mocking tone, then looked her up and down. "Yours doesn't flatter you, either."

She didn't offer him the satisfaction of looking down at her own ugly, purple sweater. She knew it was horrible, but it was either this - or stay naked.

Nesta had the feeling that Cassian wouldn't have minded the latter.

"How far away are we from home?"

His expression softened at her choice of words - home. How long did it take her to finally consider that place a home?

"At least half a day's flight," he answered, a smile playing on his lips. "Which gives us plenty of time to play a game or two."

Nesta snorted.

"Truth or dare?"

And just because she knew he wouldn't shut up until she complied and it was either this or contemplate about their unfortunate condition, Nesta answered with a long sigh:

"Truth."

His smile warmed her more than the fire behind her.

"Coward," he teased.

"I didn't choose dare only because I know you'd make me stand up and do something either stupid or embarrassing."

"Let's start off with something easy. What's the most embarrassing thing you ever did?"

Prick.

Judging by the smirk he so obviously couldn't hold back, Nesta guessed that this wasn't his definition of easy either, but he was enjoying every second of it.

"I was sixteen when a carnival passed through our village. They set up their wagons on the top of a hill and everyone went there the following morning, including me and my sisters. It rained pretty badly the previous night but no one cared. During the show one of the men asked for a volunteer right when I stood up to leave and asked me to come up. I didn't want to, but they all cheered so bad that I didn't really have a choice. Long short story, as I walked that muddy path, I slipped and fell on my ass, then slid down that hill until the very bottom. And my dress was torn by the time I stopped rolling."

A second of silence, then--

"I would've payed a fortune to see you roll down a muddy hill," he laughed, tears forming at the end of his eyes. "How was the walk of shame back home? I'm sure you were sublime."

Nesta bit her lip in an attempt to keep herself from laughing.

"Your turn. Truth or dare?"

His laughing stopped long enough for him to mumble the word "Dare".

Her smirk was enough for his laughing to cease.

There were only a handful of objects in the small cabin, most of them useless, but Nesta found at the back of a drawer something that would surely annoy the hell out of him.

"Go into the bedroom, open the first drawer and take what you find inside."

He didn't ask any questions, standing up in a fluid motion and marching into the bedroom. She heard him open the drawer, then a faint tinkle, then--

"A bit early for Solstice decorations, wouldn't you think?"

Indeed, there were four bells in his hands, all of them the size of apples. Oh, this would be fun.

"You have to wear them around the talons of your wings for three days. No negotiating."

His jaw almost hit the floor.

"You're kidding, right? I have to be in the Hewn city in two days, and tomorrow I'm training with the legions! I'm not wearing these, I'll make a fool out of myself!"

Not being able to contain it anymore, Nesta burst out laughing. Cassian stood there like a kicked puppy, watching her with eyes wide and full of defiance.

"I'm not wearing them."

"You started this game. Admitting defeat so quickly?"

His mouth clamped shut, a look of determination on his face.

"Fine. I'll wear them."

He sat himself down, bracing his arms on his knees.

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth," she replied, still chuckling.

Let him try his worst.

"What's your favourite way of getting yourself off, dear Nesta?"

Her chuckling faded into nothing.

"W-What?"

Damn him, and damn her for stammering like a blabbering fool, furthering his obvious enjoyment.

"You heard me," he mused, inching closer to her. "What does it take to get you over the edge? Pleasure yourself?"

Holy burning hell. What the hell was she supposed to answer to that?

Trying not to appear like she was thinking of an answer, Nesta shifted on the couch, looking anywhere but in those amused, burning eyes that sent shivers down her spine.

"It just so happens that I have a very vivid imagination," she said, her voice too pitched to appear casual. "And you already know about my taste in novels, don't you?"

His sharp smile was answer enough.

"That isn't a very concise answer."

"Truth or dare?"

He sat back, radiating victory. Asshole.

"Truth. Let's see what you got."

"Have you ever had a dream about me?"

"Depends what sort of dream you're asking about," he replied, eyeing her with mischief. "But yes."

"Tell me one."

Cassian clicked his tongue, resting his head in his hand.

"My turn. Truth or dare?"

"Dare."

She was prepared for all sorts of embarrassing tasks that would take a few years off her immortal life, but she'd be damned if she didn't pick it just once. If only to avoid any other personal questions.

But Cassian's dare was a far cry from what Nesta anticipated.

"Unbind your hair."

Nesta's eyebrows furrowed, expecting a continuation, but none came.

"That's all?"

He slowly nodded, smiling at her confusion.

"I rarely see you with it unbound. Now's a good time as any."

As if her hands were thinking for themselves, Nesta straightened her spine a bit as she slowly, carefully, unbounded her hair, knotted messily in a bun atop her head. Not her most intricate hairstyle, but she didn't want to shiver from its coolness.

Cassian's eyes followed her every movement like a hawk, breathing in when it finally fell down her shoulders in a mess of curls and tangles. His eyes shuttered, hands gripping the soft material of the armchair.

It would be a lie to say that Nesta didn't like it when he looked at her like that, or the fact that he scented her without a care in the world. That arrogance and sheer maleness made her see red in a heartbeat. Oh, Fae males were indeed territorial bastards.

"Your turn."

"Truth."

"Did you ever have a dirty dream about me, Cassian? If yes, tell me about it." she asked in a voice soft as midnight, cocking her head.

"Do you really wanna know, Nesta?"

"Yes," she smirked, although her stomach was in knots.

The crackling of the fire seemed to cease as he leaned closer to her, his amusement shifting into something else. Something intense.

Nesta wasn't even prepared for what he was about to say.

"You already know I did. And not just one," he added with a wink. "Although in my dreams, sweetheart, all those harsh words turn into moans and then screams that manage to wake me up with a certain... issue," he said with a pointed look to his groin. "And seeing you panting, all sweating and begging for more, begging me to touch you is a sight to behold. How that cruel, wicked mouth of yours manages to bring me over the edge in no time. How you look when you're astride me, stripped and bare before me. How flushed and breathless you are when my head is between those thighs. How intoxicating you taste. Although my imagination might be playing tricks on me, I think the reality is even better."

There was such silence in her head and so many knots in her stomach. Nesta blinked once, twice, trying to refrain the rapid heating of her cheeks, her core. It was a test of will not to avert her eyes and let all her emotions show on her face.

Gods above, have some mercy, she silently prayed.

"Now that's quite a rare sight," he cooed, "The mighty, ferocious Nesta Archeron at loss for words. I should write the date down."

"I'm not at loss for anything," Nesta answered breathlessly. "You have quite the imagination for someone who doesn't bother with arts."

"Fighting and killing is an art," he snorted. "And you're deliberately changing the subject. Feeling a little tension, Nes?"

"My turn," she said through clenched teeth. "Truth."

"Do you prefer being in control, or be controlled?"

"Why is every question related to sex?"

"Why are you avoiding it?"

"You already know I like to be in control, but if given the opportunity, I would like to know what it feels like to be controlled."

Cassian's eyes glazed in a way that told Nesta exactly what he was thinking about. Males.

"Your turn."

"Truth."

"Rough or gentle?"

A slash of a grin, followed by him standing from that armchair and walking towards her. He made to sit at the opposite end of the couch - where her legs currently rested - and merely swept them up with one hand, made himself comfortable and laid them in his lap.

Nesta was a few breaths away from either screeching at Cassian like a senile old lady or burst out of her skin when those hands brushed against a part of her exposed skin when he pulled the blankets over them, keeping her legs warm.

"Whatever suits your needs, sweetheart. Although I may have a slight inclination towards the... wilder side," he said, her toes curling inside of her socks, "There's nothing I would like more than to take my sweet time coaxing moans out of your wicked mouth. But you already know I wouldn't rush you into anything."

Before Nesta could get a chance to reply (or point out his arrogance), Cassian already flung another question at her:

"Where do you like to be touched?"

A memory from a lifetime ago slipped in her mind, reminding her of a bedroom with a burning hearth, a human girl and a cocky Illyrian warrior who believed he could have her with a few looks and almost-kisses -- and gods above, he did. He had her so ensnared that she couldn't even begin to untangle the net he cast around her.

"My neck," she said, moving her feet a bit. "And where all women like or want to be touched, I suppose. Hips, breasts, thighs..."

Nesta winked, letting his mind work out the rest of her answer.

"What do you think about being tied up? Or the other?"

Oh, Cassian didn't expect that, if his raised eyebrows and rapid blinking said anything.

"I'd like to see you try to keep me tied up, Nesta, because if the occasion ever arises, it would be hard to stop me from using my hands. But having you tied up for me..."

Cassian leaned in closer, gripping her warm feet, making her chest tighten.

"I wouldn't pass that up in a million years. See just how much you'd last, how much control you'd be willing to offer."

Nesta read the rest in his fiery eyes -- _how much you'd trust me._

And although Cassian annoyed her to no end, although his big mouth managed to rile her up every damn time, Nesta did trust him. Not with the ties and all- no, those didn't matter to her in that moment. Only the warm, foreign feeling in her chest, threatening to rip her wide and put her heart on display for him. To show and tell him everything, because she had no words to express them.

"What makes you vulnerable, Nesta?" Cassian asked in a softer voice, sensing her maelstrom of thoughts.

He probably knew all to well what made her vulnerable; with his keen eyes, ability to read another's emotions and quick thinking, Cassian wasn't tricked easily and could figure someone out in a heartbeat. But even so, there were things that were so deeply hidden inside her that even his honed skills couldn't have picked up.

"My feelings make me vulnerable," she almost choked, struggling to maintain the eye contact. "The foreign nature of them. I don't understand all of them, so I shove them away, and each time I do that... I feel like I'm drowning all over again."

His fingers brushed against her skin in silent comfort.

"You know that if I'm not good at something, I give up. Happened with swordplay." A reluctant smile, which earned an exasperated groan from Cassian, but there was amusement on his face.

Training with him was hell -- especially since he didn't go slow and she wasn't patient when it came to learning something. It took her only three hours to throw the practice sword from the training ring of the House of Wind, bite his head off and storm out like a hurricane.

"What makes you vulnerable?"

The brash smile turned into a soft, almost melancholic one.

"You."

The lump in her throat almost made Nesta choke.

"And not in a weak, undefended way, but..." he fidgeted with the hem of her pants, as if he was unsure of what to say, "but in a liberating way. I know that I can pour out my heart to you, tell you all the horrible things that I've done, what I've been through, and you wouldn't look at me differently."

"I wouldn't," she shook her head. "You never looked at me differently after what happened in Hybern."

"Because you were always the same, Nesta. A new pair of ears and a slightly different body didn't change what's inside there," he replied with a pointed look to her chest, her heart. "You were and still are the brave, annoying female that I met back in that manor."

Nesta's hand found its way to his and gripped it under the covers, too overwhelmed to say anything. All these little fights, excuses to tease and annoy each other, all of them just so she could cope with whatever was between them, with her elusive yet crystal-clear feelings that had been driving her mad for so, so long now. And Cassian played along for her sake.

So with all the courage Nesta could muster, she inched closer to him and pulled the covers aside.

"Can... Can you hold me? Just for a little while?"

Heat bloomed on her chest and cheeks but despite her obvious uncertainty, Cassian only looked at her with hope and understanding before opening his arms to her. A short intake of breath, then she almost threw herself in his embrace, squeezing her eyes shut as she at last allowed herself to be vulnerable around him.

His arms circled her instantly, rubbing soothing hands on her back, his head pressed against hers. When was the last time someone held her like this? When was she last comforted by someone who understood her?

Never. Never did something like this happen. And it was perhaps self pity or foolishness, but Nesta thought something like this would never happen to a stone-hearted girl like her.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For all that you do, who you are. I know I'm horrible most of the time, but know that you mean... so much to me. More than you can fathom. And I will always be grateful for you."

Nesta shifted until she was standing in his lap and rested her head on his shoulders, not daring to look directly at him after what she'd just said. She detected a shift in his mood, felt his powerful emotions, heard his heart pound against his chest and his sharp intake of breath -- no, not even he expected this.

But still Cassian held her, his grip a little tighter, warmth spreading over her body like a blanket.

Before she fell asleep, Nesta felt Cassian's lips press against her hair and heard what could be considered a sniffling sound. She'd tease him about him later.

* * *

A silver of light peeked from the horizon, the world slowly awakening with the cold, winter sun. The snow kept falling even now, adding to the already enormous piles of it, but the harsh wind was gone. It was that peacefulness that woke her -- and the steady breathing of the male sleeping at a comfortable distance beside her, head turned toward the windows, as if he fell asleep during his vigil.

Nesta shifted on her stomach and propped her head on a hand, listening to the snowstorm, watching Cassian stir and turn every now and then. Where did all that energy come from, she had no idea.

Before Nesta could stop herself, she reached and tucked a few strands of dark hair behind his ear, her hand lingering a bit. Even with all the fussing, he looked calmer when he slept; so much younger. How many Fae and Illyrians alike have seen him like this?

"Staring at people while they're sleeping might be a thing back in the mortal lands or in your romance novels," his voice rumbled, "but in this world it can get really creepy, really fast."

Nesta grinned, keeping her hand in place, even as nerves overtook her.

"If I had a coin for every thing you did that could be considered creepy, Cassian, I'd be richer than the entire court."

"Judging by the way we're raiding our coffers, it might not be much."

"How come Rhysand didn't kill any of you yet?"

"Because he's the one spending the most," he said dryly. "Why aren't you sleeping? Are you cold?"

Dark eyes met blue ones, and Nesta forgot all about his questions. How could someone that drove her mad make her feel so many things?

"No," she said.

Perhaps the cold got to her head, because the rational part of Nesta's brain couldn't comprehend what she was doing as she scooted closer to Cassian and brushed his hair out of his face. That know-it-all smile faded, eyes closing for a second as he took a deep breath while her fingers traced the hard lines of his face.

"I have a dare for you," she whispered.

"Oh?"

"Close your eyes. And don't open them."

He raised his eyebrows in question.

"Do you have any ill intentions towards me, sweetheart?"

Smiling, Nesta moved closer, until she was almost sitting on top of him. The way his body stilled and his breath hitched widened her smile.

At least she wasn't the only one nervous.

"Never. Now close them."

For once in his long existence, Cassian listened to her and closed his eyes.

_Holy gods._

Was she actually going to do this?

Every rational part of her brain told her to halt, to reassess her actions and to think carefully before doing anything rash. But before those thoughts could get ahold of her and completely shatter whatever was left of her confidence, Nesta banished them from her mind and did what she should've done a long, long time ago.

With a trembling hand, Nesta cupped Cassian's cheek as she leaned forward and brushed his lips with her own. Barely a kiss, more of a promise, but his low groan encouraged her to do it once more, daring to linger a bit.

The kisses she shared with Tomas were nothing, absolutely nothing compared to this. There was no real emotion in those -- only his lust and her fear. As Nesta stopped herself and searched his face, she felt a pang of regret.

This is what her first kiss should've been like. Not cruel or forceful or rushed, but slow and gentle. Exploratory. Giving both of them time to enjoy it. The butterflies swirling in her stomach and the heating of her face made it hard to hide what she felt; or thought.

Cassian looked at her with such adoration and love that it nearly shattered her soul. With her Fae ears she could hear how fast his heart was beating compared to his utter stillness -- it was the first time she heard it beat so fast. The first time he was completely vulnerable and open, all jokes and smirks aside. She could even feel it, a deep, half-hidden tether that made it so much easier to understand him and his reactions.

Cassian opened his mouth to say something but stopped as she drew back her shaking hand from his face.

It occurred to her a second too late that he might misinterpret it.

"If this has anything to do with everything I said last night... I-I know I said that I want you, Nesta, and I do, but not if you don't want to. I'm sorry if--"

"Cassian, stop."

His mouth clamped shut almost immediately.

The nervousness so obviously written on his face and the fact that he stammered -- Cassian, the big, bad, Illyrian brute, _stammering_ \-- made it clear that he might be feeling just as overwhelmed as she was.

But the fact that he though she kissed him because of all his dirty talk the night before and felt guilty...

"It's not that," she shook her head.

"Then why are you trembling?" Cassian asked in a soft voice.

"Because... Because I wanted to kiss you for a long time, and I was nervous, and now that I did I realised that I wanted you to be the first person that I kissed."

His throat bobbed as he took another shuddering breath, mirroring with precision her feelings.

"You sure do know how to make your desires know," he managed to say.

"Can you blame me? I never thought that you'd actually..." she trailed of, the nerves kicking in once again. Gone was her temporary bravado.

"Like you?" Cassian finished her question, then raised himself on his elbows. "After everything that's happened, after the war, I didn't want to push you or burden you with my feelings. I figured you already had enough on your plate. But trust me when I say this," he said with unflinching conviction, "I don't simply like you, Nesta Archeron. "Like" doesn't even begin to cover how I feel about you. I'm in love with you, and I will always, always be."

Nesta barely felt the tears sliding down her cheeks.

Cassian reached up and wiped them away one by one, then cupped her cheek in his hand. It was for the first time in her life when Nesta wept from joy and not sorrow or misery.

"I'm completely, utterly and head-over-heels in love with you, you demon, and I'm honoured that you wanted me to be your first kiss."

As soon as she closed her eyes and the tears fell, Nesta came undone. No walls, no icy masks, no sharp words. She was done.

She was done being afraid of this, of him and the possibility of being hurt. So damn done.

"Please say something."

But words were hard to find as she finally found it in herself to open her eyes and beheld the warrior who made her loose sense of everything.

"I love you with all my heart, wretched as it may be. I love you even when you annoy me, push me or make me have homicidal thoughts. I love you because you make me love myself, too. And that's more than I could ever ask for."

Disbelief, then--

"You... love me?"

Nesta nodded, lips twitching.

"I'm good at keeping secrets, you know."

Despite his own tears and the look of complete shock on his face, Cassian laughed and pulled her to his chest, squeezing the life out of her. Circling her hands around him, Nesta hugged him right back as he nuzzled her neck and (most probably) soaked her sweater with his tears. The same could be said about his hair -- she was just as emotional as he was, for gods' sake.

_I'm in love with you._

Nesta pulled him impossibly closer, biting her lip as he ran his hands up and down her back, soothing her.

_I'm completely, utterly and head-over-heels in love with you, you demon._

Despite all odds and expectations, this was real. This was truly happening, and she was not daydreaming or caught in another one of her dreams.

Cassian loved her.

Holy gods, she was going to die.

"I love you," Cassian whispered in her ear, making her skin prickle. "Even when you drive me mad, I love you."

When Cassian placed a rather chaste kiss on her neck and began to leave a trail of them until he reached her ear, Nesta shuddered, gripping his shoulders. A low sound escaped her lips when he grazed her neck with his pointed canines, hands gently squeezing her hips.

Oh, she'd thank herself later for her confession.

Pulling back enough to gaze into his eyes, Nesta offered him another bit of truth just to see if the tight leash he kept himself on would strain:

"I'm yours, and you are mine. And there's not one part of you that I don't want."

Turns out it wasn't a very tight leash.

Hands gripping her waist, Cassian pulled Nesta on his side and under him with such swift movements that she barely had time to register it. His eyes were filled with desire and love, looking like he was ready to take her then and there for the words she'd just said.

Yet he didn't.

Instead, Cassian rested her forehead against hers, his body barely touching hers.

"Can I kiss you?"

A small nod was all she could manage, but it was enough for him to lower his lips onto hers and make her heart stop completely.

Nesta wasn't well versed in the art of kissing or used to being in such proximity to other people -- especially males -- so at first, she didn't know what to do. It was one thing to initiate it, to hold the reins, but now...

Cassian stopped as soon as he sensed her discomfort and looked at her with concern.

"What's wrong? Do you want me to stop? Because--"

"No," she said quickly and pulled him by his sweater when he made to draw back.

Now that it was something consensual and feelings were actually involved, Nesta had absolutely no idea how to do this. This was an area where she had to (begrudgingly) admit that Cassian had more expertise, leaving her guessing about what she could do and if she was good enough at it.

Which made her even more nervous.

"I'm..."

Nesta opened and closed her mouth like a damned fish, all lost in her endless trail our thoughts. Gods, she really knew how to ruin a moment, didn't she?

Before Cassian had the chance to say anything, Nesta covered her face and blurted out what she was trying -- and failing -- to say:

"I know I said that I wanted you to be the first person that I kissed, which means you're not the first one, but I still have no clue how to actually kiss someone and I don't wanna make a fool of myself."

When he said nothing, Nesta tentatively pulled her hands down until she could open her eyes.

"Which I might have already done," she whispered more to herself with a wince.

Cassian blinked at her once, then twice.

And laughed.

_Laughed_.

Shocked and more embarrassed than she would ever admit, Nesta scoffed and made to push him away, but Cassian only shook his head and raised one hand defensively.

"I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing because you think this is a reason for you to be nervous," he said between laughs and then bit his lip when he saw her deep frown. "Sweetheart, we all start somewhere. And I think you're already very good at it."

Nesta narrowed her eyes at him and said, "Liar."

"I'm not lying! And I happen to be at your disposal for however much practice you need. It'll be my genuine pleasure."

"That, I don't doubt," she said with a grin, then pulled him closer. "Good thing we're trapped here, then. Gives me tons of time to perfect my skills."

She kissed his cheek, then the corner of his lips, hovering just about them. His laughter faded altogether.

"And I happen to be a very quick study," she whispered right before Cassian tilted her face and kissed her ardently.

This time, Nesta shoved away all her insecurities and kissed him right back. He was tentative at first, tasting her lips patiently, letting her decide the pace. Nesta almost sighed when Cassian lowered himself just enough so their bodies were touching and brushed his tongue on the seam of her mouth, making her see stars.

That's when her leash snapped.

Desire flooded her body, warming her core and setting her skin on fire. Cassian obliged her when she pulled him until his body was tightly pressed against her in all the right places and groaned when her mouth opened to deepen the kiss.

Cauldron boil her, this was going to be the end of her.

Cassian's grip on her waist tightened before his hands roamed freely, dragging them up and down her sides, her underbreasts, the curve of her backside, but never overstepping. Yet even those touches felt more intimate and claiming than a proper grab.

Getting the hang of it, cherishing the feeling of his lips against hers, Nesta plunged his hands in his dark locks and pulled them slightly, making him press further into her. His mouth left hers and left a patch of kisses down her neck, nipping at hear earlobe, sucking on the sensitive skin right behind her ear. That, combined with his hips driving into hers and his stubble tickling her skin, made Nesta moan loud enough that she almost clamped her mouth shut.

_This_ , she thought, _is paradise._

The next few moment were a combination of passionate, relentless kisses, markings on each other's necks until both of them were shuddering in pleasure and grinding against each other. All Nesta wanted to do in that moment was to take off his shirt and feel his bare skin against hers, but she refrained from doing that. Baby steps.

When her core pressed a bit too much against his crotch and felt his all-too visible boner, Cassian broke first and stopped his ministrations too fast for her liking. He slumped on his stomach next to her and groaned in either frustration or pleasure, giving Nesta enough time to regain her consciousness.

"You're going to kill me one day," he panted, face buried in a pillow, "and that day may come sooner than I realised."

A smile of satisfaction spread across Nesta's face as she reached over and starting playing with his hair, gently tugging it just to rile him up.

"I'll make sure it's an enjoyable death," she purred, letting her fingers skim across his neck. He made a sound that resembled a pained whimper, earning a chuckle from her. "Why did you stop?"

"Because," he mumbled, then realised that the pillow was blocking him and raised his head, "Because the last thing I want to do is rush into this. And because we have all the time in the world to take things slow."

His hand found hers and engulfed it, holding it tightly over his beating heart.

"And I'd hate to make you even more nervous with my nakedness," he winked, and all the butterflies in her stomach vanished.

"You are insufferable, did you know that?" she scowled.

Nesta tried to pull her hand away but his grip wouldn't falter. Grinning like a madman, Cassian scooted closer despite her objections and draped a hand across her waist.

"I'm just kidding," he laughed, though they both knew he wasn't wrong at all. "But I was serious about what I said. I don't wanna rush."

Nesta shifted until her back was pressed against his chest, his warmth flooding through her body.

"Neither do I," she admitted, holding his hand against her own heart. "And thank you."

"What for?"

Grateful for the fact that he couldn't see her face, Nesta didn't fight back the blush that covered her face.

But, nosy as he was, Cassian tried to peek from over her shoulder, waiting for her response.

"For easing my nerves and making me feel safe and comfortable."

Cassian rested his chin on top of her head and hugged her close to his chest.

"I'll always make sure of that, Nes. You know that," he said softly, running his fingers through her hair.

"I know. That's why I love you."

And it no longer scared her.

"You gotta love snowstorms," Cassian sighed deeply, no doubt looking at the sunrise. "If not for this one, we wouldn't be here."

"You're ruining the moment, Cas. Again."

His deep chuckle sent shivers down her spine, her core, yet she refrained from those urges. They'd have plenty of time for that.

"I love you too, sweetheart."

Cassian leaned over and kissed her cheek, then resumed his place, arms embracing her tightly.

Maybe it was after a few moments or minutes, but when Nesta finally fell asleep in the arms of her beloved, she did so with a smile on her lips and a warm feeling in her chest.

She knew she loved snowstorms for a reason.

* * *

By the time Cassian woke up, Nesta had wrapped a pair of matching bells around the talons of his wings.

Despite their confessions and heated moments, a dare was a dare, and she'd be damned if she missed the opportunity of seeing the Lord of Bloodshed training his units with _bells_ around his wings, twinkling at every step.

While Nesta was making herself a cup of tea, Cassian's shout of protest that made the cabin tremble brought a grin to her face.

Oh, she was going to enjoy this.


End file.
